Candle gazing, or candle meditation, is a peaceful, almost surreal way to meditate while staring at the flame of a candle. If you’re ever stared at a fire and become lost in a type of trance, this is the same concept.
And that’s one of the key benefits of candle meditation for me.
When I place out meditation candles, I know that I will be able to focus on the flame rather than space out and fall asleep. Unfortunately, for a long time, when I tried meditating, I would fall asleep. However, my candle meditation experiences have changed that.
Candle meditation provides a focal point that keeps your attention.
Anyone interested in the benefits of candle gazing should grab a cup of coffee, and take just a few minutes to read the rest of this article.
7 Benefits of Candle Meditation
1. Improved Concentration
Concentration is difficult when you first start meditating. If you’re using visualization, a physical object or candles for meditation, you’ll find your mind wandering to other subjects: work, relationships, hunger or something else.
But, losing your concentration is okay because it allows you another time to practice on refocusing your attention.
Trataka, a form of meditation where you stare at an actual candle flame or, another, single object, is well-studied. In fact, a 2021 review of 37 papers found that this form of meditation could boost cognition.
Additionally, Trataka has been shown to help with:
- Memory (more on this below)
- Cognitive flexibility
- Response
- Selective attention
In older people, there are studies indicating that Trataka improves cognition in older adults. If you find that your cognition is slowing or your brain is pulling you in a million directions, candles for meditation may help you regain your focus and concentration.
2. Boost Productivity
Productivity is one of the benefits of candle meditation that transcends into your career. Cognitive function improves with meditation along with your brain’s ability to store information.
However, meditation also helps boost productivity by:
- Decluttering your mind so that you can stay focused on tasks for longer periods of time
- Sharpening your concentration, so you’ll be less distracted
Skilled, executive decision-making abilities also improve with meditation. If you read about some of the world’s leading business leaders, you’ll find many of them meditate. A few people known to meditate are Arianna Huffington, Oprah Winfrey, Russell Simmons, Jack Dorsey and so many others.
3. Energizes You
Meditation and energy were the focus of a 2017 study at the University of Waterloo. Researchers found that mindfulness meditation helped boost energy levels in participants.
Why?
It’s still unclear. Researchers theorize that meditation helps improve blood flow to the brain and aids in the release of endorphins.
Both may help with energizing the body and mind.
4. Calms the Mind
Ask most people why they meditate, and they’ll often respond that it helps calm the mind. In a world where mental health seems to be on a rapid decline, meditation should be sought by more people.
Meditation can help calm:
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Anger
Why?
When you focus on candlelight, or any singular object, your mind has a job to do. It’s also thought that candle gazing opens up the third eye chakra, known as the internal eye, which is known for its calming effects.
Mental stability is just one of the many mental health benefits of this meditation technique.
5. Enhances Your Vision
You don’t need the best candles for meditation to enhance your vision. In fact, you can use any type of candle you wish:
- Beeswax candles
- Scented candles
- Aromatherapy candles
- Etc.
It’s crucial to choose a type of candle that doesn’t irritate your eyes. Also, opt for natural, non-toxic candles if you plan on meditating often.
Interestingly, there’s an abundance of evidence that shows this form of meditation may help prevent eye disease and even support treatment for certain eye diseases. A few of the studies and reviews worth reading on this subject are:
- 2021 trial indicates that patients may have an improvement in intraocular pressure (IOP)
- 2018 study shows a reduction in IOP or fluid pressure in the eye
However, don’t expect candle meditation to reverse blindness or cure a severe form of eye disease. Rather, the primary benefits seem to be a reduction in fluid eye pressure, which is a leading cause of blindness in people with glaucoma.
Personally, I haven’t meditated with candles long enough to verify any of these vision-related claims.
6. Helps You Sleep Better
Sleep is important. When you sleep, your body has a chance to repair and help remove toxins from the brain. Additionally, this is the time when your brain helps reorganize information that you’ve learned and store it in long-term memory.
Candle gazing aids in sleep, according to a 2020 study.
A few key points in the study that are of note are:
- It included just 29 participants – so it’s a small case study
- Participants meditated for 45 minutes for 10 days
- Insomnia severity drastically fell during the study
- Quality of sleep drastically rose
Quality of sleep is very important. If you want to have a restful sleep, Trataka meditation can help. You’ll want to incorporate breathing techniques and meditate for 45 minutes per day. This ancient technique will provide an immense form of anxiety relief, calm the mind and enhance sleep hygiene.
7. Aids in Memory and Retention
Are you the type of person that has selective memory?
You’re not alone.
One of the candle meditation benefits that attracted me the most to this practice is that it aids in both memory and retention. When you’re trying to learn a new language or going through training for your job, candle light meditation can help.
How?
Studies show that:
- Participants experienced a rise in selective attention
- Volunteers in one study experienced an increase in:
- Spatial attention
- Spatial memory
- Working memory
Why? There’s no conclusive reason why meditation improves memory. However, maybe since your brain is allowed to relax and stop focusing on a zillion tasks, it’s able to spend more time organizing and storing memories,
Candle gazing meditation is a lot of fun, and it’s an extremely peaceful way to focus your gaze. But, of course, you might find that the benefits of candle meditation aren’t what you’re looking for when meditating.
And that’s fine.
Meditation is really all about you and what works for you. Don’t like candle meditation? There are many forms of meditation that you can choose from, that are backed by scientific evidence, including: mantra meditation, vipassana meditation, kundalini meditation, pyramid meditation and so much more.
Find a form of meditation that works best for you and practice it.
Mike’s an obsessive gnome, always worried about bettering himself, overcoming physical limitations and trying to grow his homestead. He’s a former computer programmer, turned researcher/writer with a focus on health and wellness.